What's the Best Camera for you?

You don't need to be an expert to take better pictures ...

People ask me all the time ... what's the best camera? The answer (of course): it depends ...

As advanced as cameras have become, there's no perfect camera for every situation. A sports car isn't better than a box truck - each is well suited for a certain purpose. Similarly, the best camera for a gymnastics meet might not be the best camera for artistic landscapes or snapshots of your family.

My goal with this site is to help you choose the best camera for your needs, whatever they may be. I cover a lot of ground, but if you have any questions, feel free to reach out to me at patrick@bestcamera.us! I'm here to help.

The good newsIt's actually hard to find a bad camera these days. Any camera you buy is going to be pretty darn good for what it is. The mistake most people make when buying a camera is getting the wrong category of camera. Just because you have $1,000 doesn't mean you should go out and buy a DSLR - if you're never going to change the lens or learn how to use it, you're wasting your money. On the other hand, if you really want to learn the technical aspects of photography, you probably shouldn't rush out and buy the best superzoom - in that case, you would in fact be better off getting a DSLR.

Best camera for most people most of the time I'll start with the best camera for most people, most of the time. Drumroll please ... it's the camera you already have in your pocket! Smartphones take amazing pictures these days and have lots of advantages. Besides, it's a cliche with photographers: the best camera is the one you have on you.

Apple iPhoneIf you're looking to upgrade your smartphone, just make sure it has a good camera. My favorite phone camera (and phone) is the iPhone (find iPhones on Amazon), either the 6S, the 6S Plus, or the SE - the choice should be based almost exclusively on the size you prefer. Since we're talking about using it for photography, don't cheap out - spend the extra money for 32GB or 64GB of storage. Otherwise, you'll be frustrated every time you run out of storage.

Other phonesThere are lots of good Android phones, too - so many that it's almost impossible to choose. I've owned both Apple and Samsung phones, and I simply prefer Apple. My Galaxy was supposed to have a better camera than the latest iPhone, but in my experience, I take better pictures with an iPhone.

I used to work for Microsoft, so I also have a soft spot for Windows Phones (they were even simpler to learn than iPhones, at least initially) ... unfortunately, Microsoft just kind of lost the battle, so I can't recommend them. Same with Blackberry and anything else not running Android or iOS.

Unless you have something against Apple, just get the best iPhone you can afford and be done with it. It's not worth the aggravation of trying to find something better in my opinion. It's the camera you're going to use most often ... and it might even be the only camera you need.

Even better camerasBut since you're here, I'm sure you really want to know what's the best camera for sports or for kid pictures or travel ... so choose from the menu to get all my recommendations ... and again, if you have questions, email me at patrick@bestcamera.us! ​I truly enjoy helping people pick the best camera for their needs.